Vice-Chair Khrystian King Advocates for Safer Streets in Worcester: Push for 25 MPH Speed Limit and Improved Pedestrian Crossings

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Vice-Chair Khrystian King joins Talk of the Commonwealth to share his ideas on making Worcester safer. King is part of the Traffic and Parking sub-committee that voted to recommend the 25 mile per hour speed limit to the full council. King says the City Council has a responsibility to the pedestrians of Worcester. He points to his order of over a year ago to look at the beacon HAWK pedestrian system. A traffic control device designed to help pedestrians safely cross higher-speed roadways at midblock crossings and uncontrolled intersections. It is not inexpensive and King says he recognizes the financing piece but says part of the council’s job is to push the City Manager to find the grants and funding that is available for such projects. He wants to establish mid-block crossing. It shouldn’t take more than three minutes to reach a crosswalk on long stretches of road. He says that reduce accidents by as much as 75%. He says they need to begin to increase walkability by legislation, by ordinance, and that will in turn increase the success of small business. King hopes that these and other ideas he has put forward will be discussed and debated on the floor of the City Council soon.